Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan received Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Welcoming the guest, the Prime Minister stressed that Armenia and Iran boast high-level interstate relations, and this year marks the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Karen Karapetyan said despite the fact that sufficient work has been done so far along with many joint achievements, there is still much to do in this respect.
The Premier noted that in their capacity of friendly neighbors, Armenia and Iran have great potential for boosting trade and economic cooperation, and despite the growth in exports recorded this year, the figures are still far from reflecting the real potential and opportunities for the development of bilateral economic ties.
“I am very much pleased that today the Armenian-Iranian business forum kicked off in Yerevan, and that the RA-IRI intergovernmental commission will be meeting this December. In October, I had a very fruitful visit to Iran, during which we agreed on the furtherance of cooperation in different directions. The Armenian government is eager and ready to improve our trade turnover and upgrade it to a new level,” Karen Karapetyan emphasized.
Conveying warm greetings on behalf of Es’haq Jahangiri, the First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Foreign Minister Zarif stated in part, “Your visit to Iran was very important and successful. We hold Armenia as a good neighbor. Our relations can be traced back more than 25 years, and they are a valuable asset for both countries, which we need to tap in full.”
Mohammad Javad Zarif agreed with Karen Karapetyan that bilateral trade turnover falls short of the ongoing high-level political dialogue. He reassured of Iran’s keen interest to bolster trade and economic ties with friendly Armenia. In this context, the Minister advised that his delegation comprised several representatives of spheres of mutual interest who have arrived in Armenia to discuss steps and prospects for cooperation.
The Armenian Premier and the Iranian Foreign Minister next discussed issues related to cooperation within the free economic zone (FEZ) in Meghri, due to be commissioned as early as this December on the Armenian-Iranian border.
Karen Karapetyan noted that considering the tax privileges available for businesses and the preferential trade regimes that Armenia has with different institutions and countries, the FEZ will be a favorable platform for Armenian, Iranian and third-country business entities.
Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Iranian side is keen to see the soonest launch of the Meghri FEZ, and stands ready to cooperate in that area. Both sides agreed that cooperation between the Armenian Meghri and the Iranian Aras free economic zones and the establishment of a joint export-import company could upgrade bilateral economic relations to a qualitatively new level.
The parties exchanged views on bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the energy sphere. Thanking the Iranian authorities for their caring attitude to Armenian monuments in Iran, Karen Karapetyan asked Mohammad Javad Zarif to convey warm greetings to IRI First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri.
